Thanks. My second choice was "Freddie's legacy has just been Shat on."posted by zarq at 8:02 PM on October 19, 2011 [14 favorites]

I don't think William Shatner even knows what words mean.posted by cmoj at 8:03 PM on October 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

He's tone deaf, but the delivery was quite good in places. I dunno, it's a bit weird when he completely buys into his own schtick; then, the audience has to take the meta to the next level.posted by carter at 8:03 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

*YES!* Few songs make me happier than his Common People, and good on you for posting the TAS video version. I actually just sent that one to my uncle yesterday.posted by yellowbinder at 8:20 PM on October 19, 2011

It's either one or the other. There is no other explanation.

the above comment was left by someone who has clearly never accidentally gotten dusted outside rebel rebelposted by elizardbits at 8:20 PM on October 19, 2011

Who is buying this? Is there enough of a market out there for ironic music purchases to support this? Or is he taking a loss because it's his art, man, and money shouldn't figure into it. It's either one or the other. There is no other explanation.

My bet is on the makers planning for this being put into YouTube Poop and other meme-hall-of-famery in perpetuity. I mean, my immediate thought was "this needs to be mashed up with the Muppet version of Bohemian Rhapsody stat" followed by "there must be some way to exploit that creepy face."posted by gusandrews at 8:30 PM on October 19, 2011

Shatner is the 1%... too bad the rest of the 1% isn't as... erm... "special" as ole Williamposted by edgeways at 8:38 PM on October 19, 2011

I think I could have made it all the way through, if those damn words weren't on the screen. Was this a karaoke special?posted by davejay at 8:42 PM on October 19, 2011

Ben Folks was a huge portion of the 99% on Has Been. Shat's made the mistake of going the 'New Guest Artist On Every Track!' route that's the hallmark of someone who's selling shit not making art.posted by carsonb at 8:43 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I SO wanted to love "Seeking Major Tom", but either Shatner or his producers made glaring mistakes on almost every cut. (Yes, I acquired the whole album) He'd bring out the maximum BRAVADO at the wrong time, he spoke through lines the backup singers should've been singing (and sometimes the backup singers sang when he should've been talking!!!) It was a bad sign when I noticed he opened with Peter Schilling's "Major Tom" and THEN did "Space Oddity". And a 'Major-Tom-themed' album without "Ashes to Ashes"? Needed much more Bowie, like "Life on Mars" or (my fave) "TVC-15". His "Blinded Me With Science" made me cry - in the wrong way. A couple pleasant surprises, including at the end when his "Planet Earth" was better than Duran Duran's original (I know, a low hurdle). But seriously, at times, it seemed more like he was doing Denny Crane during an Alzheimer's outbreak. I am a little worried about the Shat-man! And, yes, my respect for Ben Folds has just doubled.posted by oneswellfoop at 8:56 PM on October 19, 2011 [4 favorites]

There are a few moments in this song when, in a thin, quavering voice, he actually sings. And I can't help but love that guy. I want to hear more from him.posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:56 PM on October 19, 2011

I feel it is impossible - nay, irresponsible - to judge this too swiftly or, indeed, when not under the influence of several large scotches. I shall therefore reserve my opinion until a more appropriate time.posted by Decani at 9:57 PM on October 19, 2011

Lovecraft In Brooklyn: "57I 'sing' like William Shatner. Only with more yelling. So I can't laugh. Want me to post some recordings?"

I think my ears have bled enough for one day, but thanks. ;)posted by zarq at 10:05 PM on October 19, 2011

scottjacksonx: "55I'd just like to ask one question. What does God need with a starship?"

Oh hell, he's not going to be doing "We Built This City" next, is he?posted by zarq at 10:06 PM on October 19, 2011 [4 favorites]

I've never been high before, but I imagine this clip is exactly what it feels like.posted by Defying Gravity at 10:28 PM on October 19, 2011

Nobody puts Shatner in the Uncanny Valley! Except when they do.posted by maudlin at 10:41 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm assuming they used that creepy face because Shatner wasn't available or something? Though it's kind of weird he couldn't appear in his own music video.

Not even going to comment on the actual song lololololposted by palidor at 11:04 PM on October 19, 2011

That.... wow. That was worse than I was expecting it to be. And I was expecting it to be pretty bad. Nobody involved in making this could have thought it was actually good, right? Least of all Shatner.

Right?

Admittedly I was laughing at it a lot, especially once I skipped ahead a bit. But I think I was laughing at how much work had been put into gilding the sow's ear of Shatner's... um... I can't call it "singing". "Delivery"? Yeah, he delivered those lyrics. "Delivered" as in "drives by during the three minutes you're out of the house and leaves a note on the door that falls off before you see it, three days in a row, so your package is returned to the sender".posted by egypturnash at 11:26 PM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Just because you can't sing doesn't mean you shouldn't passionately declaim lyrics. And just because you haven't learned the songs doesn't mean you can't get up in front of a full pub on a Friday night at 10 o'clock and mangle some Black Flag and Megadeth songs.

That.... wow. That was worse than I was expecting it to be. And I was expecting it to be pretty bad. Nobody involved in making this could have thought it was actually good, right? Least of all Shatner.

Oy. Apparently this really doesn't work unless Ben Folds produces the album.posted by speicus at 12:12 AM on October 20, 2011

It was a bad sign when I noticed he opened with Peter Schilling's "Major Tom" and THEN did "Space Oddity". And a 'Major-Tom-themed' album without "Ashes to Ashes"? Needed much more Bowie, like "Life on Mars" or (my fave) "TVC-15".

Oh yeah, I want to go to the alternate universe where Ben Folds produced an all-Bowie-cover Shatner album.

I am so glad Bill has taken his place amongst the stars.posted by munchingzombie at 12:50 AM on October 20, 2011

So, I'm guessing Ben Folds wasn't involved with this one?

Better than that. It was John Wetton. The bass player for King Crimson. How cool is that? Maybe next time Robert Fripp will join in.

Zappa produced an album in the 1970s called "We're only in it for the money." As with everything else, Frank was way ahead of his time and a role model for musicians - and actors - everywhere.posted by three blind mice at 1:04 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Nightmare fuel.

Also, KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!posted by bardic at 1:26 AM on October 20, 2011

Common People was brilliant. This is meh. And worse - almost unthinkably - I suspect it's autotuned. The long see... and me.... sure sound it.

Wanted to love, and now I'm a hater. Yetch.posted by Devonian at 1:31 AM on October 20, 2011

Wait you're all surprised that a William Shatner album & video are inexplicable, unwatchable and unlistenable?!

You haven't been paying attention!

Personally, I find this, as I find most of Shatner, freakishly compelling.

And I thought for a minute there he was changing the meaning of one of the lines with "MAMA JUST KILLED A MAN", but no. Mama's no killer.posted by chavenet at 2:45 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is a lazy attempt at whatever they were attempting, and god knows what that was. It's obviously not serious, it sucks as parody, even as a cheap youtube effort it fails.posted by HuronBob at 2:52 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Shatner is a Godlike genius but that was dreadful.posted by unSane at 3:01 AM on October 20, 2011

I don't like this Shatner as much as the very-serious-actor Shatner that existed until the early 90s. That was much funnier than this "haha, I'm so self-effacing" character who whores himself today.

For the first half I was entranced by the cosmic immensity of Shatner's nose. When I was dragged, half-uncomprehending, into "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Shatner," I finally understood the awe and horror that drives the Jerimiad.

I love when people call things "indescribable" on the internet, because some little part of my head always immediately thinks: wow, you are about to be proved wrong at length.posted by penduluum at 4:46 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

What's next? Billy Bob Thornton "Boxcutters" albums on Metal Blade? Eddie Murphy dropping some tracks album for United Dairies? Does the nature of Shatner warp reality itself to suit its whims?posted by Shepherd at 6:04 AM on October 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

The subtitles...why? Kinda ruined it (if such a thing can be ruined).posted by Zippity Goombah at 6:16 AM on October 20, 2011

penduluum: "I love when people call things "indescribable" on the internet, because some little part of my head always immediately thinks: wow, you are about to be proved wrong at length."

There was no other description I could use other than "stunned into speechless catatonia" without editorializing. :Dposted by zarq at 6:55 AM on October 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

It's truly sad that I cynically thought those numbers were believable.

Professor Stephen Palmer, of MIT, claims that dilithium crystals have "literally unlimited potential" for the future of energy, reporting, "Based on my research, which includes careful observation of over ten thousand hours of Deep Space Nine and Voyager re-runs, dilithium crystals have a virtually infinite capacity for power generation."

Palmer explains, "The crystals provide power for starship warp drives by channeling electro-plasma released by the mutual annihilation from extremely high temperatures and electro-magnetic radiation. And since Spock and Scotty solved the problem of gradual decrystalization during their time travel mission to the twenty-third century, all we have to do is harness this energy, and BAM! - we're set for the next five thousand years."

Yeah, that's the biggest WTF moment of the entire vid for me as well. Altho to be fair, waaaay back in the day, Cleopatra was a decent label to stand up with Wax Trax and the like... until it became '8000 Leæther Strip Knockoffs, and a Whole Bunch of Really Cheesy Tribute Albums To Pink Floyd and The Cure'. Ah, early-mid nineties and scrounging the CD bins in Smash...posted by FatherDagon at 9:00 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

The singing Shatner joke is a one note joke and it's been tired since at least 1998posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:06 AM on October 20, 2011

It's either one or the other. There is no other explanation.

You are ruling out the possibility that Shatner is actually an alien being using advanced psychological testing on you humans to see how far is "too far", and what you are willing to tolerate in an xenomorphic overlord.

Star Trek was obviously nothing more than a propaganda piece to prepare everyone for the onset of testing that the different characters of the show would be subjecting Earthlings to.posted by quin at 9:07 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

As I typed that, I realized there might actually be a pretty entertaining short story in there somewhere.posted by quin at 9:07 AM on October 20, 2011

I like his last album, but this is like when Chuck Norris makes Chuck Norris jokes.posted by BurnChao at 11:36 AM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

So. We really are alone in the universe.posted by telstar at 12:05 PM on October 20, 2011

I love Shatner and I love Bohemian Rhapsody, so I clicked the link with some anticipation - but this is just plain wrong. Not funny, not weird, not irreverent, just ... horribly wrong.posted by helion at 1:51 PM on October 20, 2011

Shatner's becoming like an 'Adam West' with the ridiculous but without the crazy-funny. But it's not just the song styling that's lazy and uninspired. The effects, the lack of anything to follow in the video, the titling - it all smacks of putting in the smallest amount of work.

I keep hoping the marketplace will tire of settling for mediocre efforts like this, but then things like X-factor keep popping up and killing that hope.posted by Hardcore Poser at 2:59 PM on October 20, 2011

** … ** … ** … **

Captain Christopher Pike's reaction, or possibly his rendition.posted by zippy at 4:41 PM on October 20, 2011 [3 favorites]

Wishing I lived in that universe where Ben Folds produces Shatner's cover of Bowie songs.posted by Mcable at 5:15 PM on October 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

For me, making it to the end was rewarding. Seeing "Win Free Shat" made me laugh pretty hardposted by Redhush at 9:03 PM on October 20, 2011

For me, this fails because it's intentional kitsch. Intentional kitsch always fails because it misses the whole joy of kitsch, which is the earnest, heartfelt disaster unfolding before your eyes, and this isn't earnest or heartfelt in any way, right down to the insulting cheesy (as opposed to garish or fun cheesy) flash-style video, which just looks cheap cheap, not OMG cheap. I'd venture a guess that this will sell, because Trek fans will buy anything, like their tauntaun sleeping bag-buying completist Star Wars brethren, but in twenty years, this won't even be campy fun for our dumb kids to giggle over as they're rooting through our iCloud™ playlists and chiding us for not realizing the subversive genius of Nickelback back in the day.posted by sonascope at 5:17 AM on October 21, 2011 [4 favorites]

Man, I saw this making the rounds the last couple days and it was on my "to watch" list. I'm seriously, legitimately disappointed by it.

Has Been was a solid piece of musical production, still Shatner doing Shatner but the framework around it was just so solid and self-aware without being lamely farcical that it worked as an album. Even as a fan of Shatner, I had low expectations of it and they were exceeded and then some by the album once I heard it; it wasn't just not-terrible, it was good.

So this sort of low-rent, uninspired karaoke bullshit is sort of heartbreaking. knilstad is right on upthread, as bad as Shatner's early singles were they at least had some actual charming weirdness, but this might as well be Bill sitting around doing spoken word recitals of his favorite midi files.posted by cortex at 4:02 PM on October 21, 2011 [3 favorites]

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